Blue Star Rising
by Solora Goldsun
Summary: Kevin is stuck in an ongoing cycle of pain and death, all to save the two people he loves most from a deadly enemy. Will he die at the hands of Darkstar, or will he find the power to save both himself and his friends? Gwevin/Brotherly Bevin. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**The Gwevin Prophet is back! My fans convinced me to not retire, and I saw their reasoning. There is still much Gwevin that still hasn't occurred yet! So, why should I leave ya'll without my predictions? One thing is gonna change though: I'm moving from Oneshots to Twoshots. Emerald and Onyx is probably the best Gwevin work I've ever written. Why? I had lots of stuff and it wasn't compacted into one Chapter. Two seems to be the magic number here. With oneshots, they can easily end up being too rushed or too short. Chapter stories, at least with me, end up having super short chapters and I get bored of them after awhile. Twoshots seem to fit the bill perfectly. In this story, Darkstar comes back and he wants revenge! He comes to Kevin with an offer and a threat. Now, since Kevin and Gwen are already together, this isn't a story that gets them together. Rather, it amplifies their relationship. There's also some cute Brotherly Bevin! Enjoy! NOTE: This takes place between AF and UA.**

Kevin sighed as he wandered through the streets. He wasn't in the mood to put up with Ben's driving. Ever since his car had been totaled _again_, he had taken to walking aimlessly in his spare time. 'I really gotta get my ride fixed...' He thought sadly to himself, checking his watch. 'I got that tech deal to make at midnight...I wonder who the guy is...' He shrugged his shoulders. 'No matter. He offers good money. More dough to pay for my car.' He glanced at his watch again. 'I suppose I could make it to Gwen's house and hang there for awhile. Ben's gonna sleep over, so I can just slip out once they fall asleep.' He nodded to himself and started walking toward Gwen's house.

Ben answered the door. "Hey, Kevin! What kept you?"

"Car's at the auto shop. Still recovering from a certain someone THROWING it." Kevin muttered, raising an eyebrow.

"Heh...right..." Ben grinned nervously as he let Kevin in.

"Hi, Kevin!" Gwen came out of the living room and kissed his cheek.

Kevin's expression softened almost immediately. "Hey, Gwen..." He murmured, blushing slightly. He was about to kiss her lips when Ben walked between them, shoving them both to the side.

"'Scuse me! Coming through! Need popcorn!" He grabbed Kevin's wrist. "Come on. You can help me!"

"Kay..." 'I am so gonna kill you!' Kevin followed Ben reluctantly to the kitchen. As Ben pulled out a bag of microwave popcorn, he started to talk.

"Kev, you know I'm cool with you dating Gwen. Heck, I say it's about time you two got serious!" He put the bag into the microwave. "But, quite frankly, watching 'The Fluff Hour Live with Kevin and Gwen' 24/7 gets rather sickening!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Kevin huffed, folding his arms.

"Oh, please! You two are always blushing, giggling, hugging, making goo-goo eyes at each other, and a bunch of other junk that I don't wish to go into. The point is, I feel like a third-wheel! Do you realize that our conversations these days are two insults from you and a bit of whining from me? What happened to our football nights?" Ben pulled the finished bag out of the microwave. "Just don't cut me out completely, okay?"

Kevin's eyes widened slightly. "My goodness! You're right! I _have_ been neglectful!" He placed a hand on Ben's shoulder and spoke very seriously. "It won't happen again, Ben. From now on, I will make sure to insult you ten times a day and beat you up at least four times."

Ben rolled his eyes. "Shoulda figured..." He muttered. "Fair enough..." He started to walk away before throwing a piece of popcorn at Kevin's face.

"Hey! C'mere, Tennyson! I'll show you how to throw popcorn!"

"Yikes!" Ben quickly bolted out of the room.

"Boys!" Gwen called from the sofa. "Don't make me come over there!"

"Okay, Gwen..." They both muttered at the same time. Kevin quickly elbowed Ben before flopping down next to Gwen on the couch.

Ben sat on the loveseat while mouthing to Kevin, "You are so dead!"

Kevin merely grinned and stuck out his tongue, wrapping his arm around Gwen's shoulders.

* * *

Kevin smiled at Gwen, who had fallen asleep snuggled against him. Ben was curled up in the loveseat, snoring softly. Kevin let out a soft chuckle. 'He's never quiet...even when he's asleep...' He glanced at his watch and sighed. 'Dang...gotta go meet that guy about that tech...' Slowly, he began to get up from the sofa. Gwen started to slump over and Kevin quickly caught her, gently easing her into a lying down position, resting her head on one of the pillows. He carefully pulled her legs up onto the couch and slipped her shoes off of her feet. She shivered a little. 'Hm...it _is_ kinda cold...' He pulled the blanket off of the back of the sofa and draped it over her. He knelt down and tucked the corners of the blanket softly around her shoulders. "Goodnight, Gwen." He whispered, allowing his lips to linger on her cheek for a moment before drawing back. He glanced at Ben, who was twitching and mumbling something, his hand flicking back and forth. 'Dreaming about fighting aliens no doubt.' Kevin grinned as he walked over and pulled Ben's shoes off. Ben swatted agitatedly at some dream opponent and Kevin suppressed a laugh. 'Knucklehead...' He thought affectionately, wrapping a blanket around Ben's shuddering shoulders. Almost immediately, Ben calmed down and his head sank into the pillow. The slightest smile spread across his face. 'Guess he got whoever he was fighting...' Kevin gently ruffled his hair and planted a very quick, brotherly kiss on top of the younger boy's head. "Goodnight, Ben." With that, he turned and walked quietly out of the house.

Ben groaned and opened his eyes just in time to hear the door close. "Huh...?" He looked around. "Hey, Gwen? You awake?"

"Hmm?" Gwen looked up, blinking her eyes blearily.

"Where'd Kevin go?"

"He said something about making a deal with someone for some alien tech tonight..." She buried her face in the pillow and closed her eyes again.

"Did your mom tuck us in?"

"Don't think so. Mom and Dad are out all night..." Gwen closed her eyes. "Maybe it was Kevin..."

"Kevin?!" Ben snorted and started to drift off again. "Not a chance..."

* * *

'Where is he?' Kevin paced back and forth, drumming his hand impatiently against the brick wall of the abandoned alley. 'I can only stand the smell of garbage for so long!' He checked his watch and groaned. 'Two AM?! Come on already!'

"Hello, Kevin..." A voice drawled from the darkness.

Kevin spun around. "Hello? Who's there?"

"I'm glad you showed up...so predictable...always ready to make a quick dollar..."

Kevin was starting to get annoyed. "Look, I've been waiting around here for two hours! I could be doing something else, you know! Either come out where I can see you or I'll just take my merchandise and leave."

"Very well..." The voice chuckled a little. "How impatient..." The sound of metal footsteps could be heard. Then, a familiar mask became familiar in the darkness.

"Darkstar!" Kevin absorbed the brick of the wall and got into a fighting position. "Maybe it _was_ worth coming here! I've been wanting to beat you down _so_ much!"

"Now, now. Let us not be hasty, Kevin." Darkstar held up a metal-gloved hand calmly. "I have a...business proposition for you."

"You mean like the last one? No thanks! In case you haven't noticed, I'm human again!" Kevin smirked a little and took a step forward, brandishing his fists. "I'll make _you_ a deal: Hold still and I'll make this as quick as possible!" A beam of dark energy pinned him against a wall. Kevin scrunched his eyes shut as he felt that all-too-familiar sensation of having his life drained from his body.

"I'll do the talking here." Darkstar snarled before dropping Kevin. "I believe that this deal will be one of interest for you. It concerns your friends."

"What about them?" Kevin growled, immediately defensive.

"Well, I assumed that you wouldn't want anything...unfortunate happening to them." He traced a hand casually along the brick wall. His mask hid a grin of pure glee.

Kevin took a step forward and grabbed the front of Darkstar's suit. "You touch them, and you'll wish you've never been born!" He was pinned to the wall by another burst of draining darkness. 'Ugh...'

"I think we both know that you have no chance of defeating me." Darkstar lowered his hand and let Kevin collapse onto the ground. "I could easily kill you right now. However, that wouldn't be any fun. Would it?" He knelt down next to Kevin and regarded him with disgust. "You've caused me a lot of grief, Kevin. You made it possible for Gwen to escape me the first time and you took away my humanity the second time. I would like nothing more than to make you suffer as I have suffered." He picked up Kevin by the neck and pressed him against the wall. "That is the merchandise I seek: Your slow and painful death."

"That won't come easy..." Kevin managed to choke through Darkstar's strong hand.

"Hey!" Darkstar took a step back and held up his hands in a false appeasing gesture. "I'm willing to pay full price! Allow me to slowly absorb your energy until you die, and I promise to leave Ben and Gwen alone!"

"What?!" Kevin's eyes grew wide. "You've gotta be kidding me! I'm not making any deals with you! One, only a complete idiot would allow someone to slowly kill him! Two, you can't hurt Gwen and Ben. Three, even if you _could_, and I agreed, I don't trust you to keep your word! No deal!" He folded his arms stubbornly.

"You need to look at things from a different point of view, you naïve child." Darkstar spat, folding his arms as well. "One, I could kill you quickly right now. I know you know this. Letting me kill you slowly will give you a few days to get your affairs in order. Two, I _can_ hurt Ben and Gwen. If you said no to the deal and I killed you now, there would be no one to put them on their guard. I know where they live and could drain them to the death at any time. Three, if you don't agree, I'll kill you and then I'll _definitely_ kill Ben and Gwen." He smirked from under his mask. "How does the deal sound _now_?"

Kevin started to pant fearfully. Darkstar had a point. He _could_ kill Kevin right quite easily. 'I can't help Ben and Gwen dead...' And he _was_ going to be putting Gwen and Ben at risk by just giving up here and now. 'Besides...' He thought sadly. 'I_ do_ have some issues to settle...' He bowed his head and allowed the brick outer coat to fade. "Alright, Darkstar...you...you have a deal..." He closed his eyes and braced himself.

Darkstar smiled evilly. "Excellent..." He took a step forward. "Well? Don't you want to shake on it?"

Kevin looked up and, trying not to look too terrified, held out his hand. Immediately, Darkstar caught his hand in a tight grip and black energy surrounded them both. "ARGH!" Kevin felt all of his strength rapidly fading. He was becoming withered...empty... He felt his soul fighting to burst out. Every fluid within his body was boiling. He was going...going... Then, he saw a light. He opened his eyes to see Darkstar taking off his mask, revealing the blonde, overly sparkly Michael Morningstar.

"My, my! Looks like you have more energy than I had originally thought..." He gazed thoughtfully at Kevin. "Meet me here every day at midnight." He started to walk away before pausing and turning back. "Oh, and if you tell anyone about our deal, you, Ben, Gwen, _and_ your mother will suffer the consequences."

Kevin normally would have stood up to pound his stupid Edward Cullen face in. Unfortunately, he felt his vision going black and, the next thing he knew, he was knocked out completely.

* * *

'Ugh...' Kevin blinked a few times blearily.

"Bout time you woke up!" A familiar voice chuckled.

"Uh...Grandpa Max...?" Kevin mumbled, trying to sit up. He was in the Rustbucket, on one of the old recliner beds. "H-How'd you find me?" He moaned and collapsed back into the pillows. Grandpa Max put a hand on his chest.

"Easy, son. Don't move too quickly. You're in pretty bad shape." He put a pack of ice on Kevin's forehead and walked back toward the stove where some unidentified soup was boiling. "Can you remember what happened? Who did this to you?"

"It was-" Kevin cut himself off. If anyone could handle Morningstar, Max could. 'But still...can I really take that chance with Gwen and Ben on the line?' "I...I didn't see them. I was waiting for someone I was selling tech to and...someone knocked me out from behind."

Grandpa Max raised an eyebrow in a slightly disbelieving gesture. "Odd...you're never one to be taken by surprise, Kevin."

"I...I was tired. I...can't react as well if I'm tired..." Kevin lied quickly.

"Hmmm... Well, you still had your Plumber's badge on you when I found you. That's actually _how_ I found you. Do you have everything that you had before?"

Kevin felt his pockets. He wouldn't put it past Morningstar to snatch the tech while he was down, simply out of spite. Shockingly, he still had it. 'Good thing too...' He ran a finger across the small metal orb. 'I woulda hated Morningstar to have stolen this...' It was a tiny but powerful bomb that remolded itself and returned to the owner's hand after each explosion. Grandpa Max was quick to snatch it out of Kevin's hand.

"How bout I hold on to this for you?" Grandpa Max muttered, pocketing it. "Wouldn't want it being sold to just _anybody_." He gave Kevin a significant look.

Kevin grinned sheepishly. "Fair enough."

"Get some sleep, son. You're gonna need it."

Kevin nodded, which caused his head to start pounding once more. He scrunched his eyes shut and fell into a restless sleep.

* * *

"Ben, I'm worried about Kevin." Gwen sighed as Ben drove toward Kevin's house. "He's been sick for over a week now and he gets worse and worse every time we visit!"

"I know..." Ben was gripping the wheel tightly. "Yesterday, he was as pale as a ghost. He hardly said anything. He just...stared at us." He shook his head slowly. "He just has the weirdest look on his face when he looks at us..."

"I know..." Gwen unbuckled her seatbelt as the car stopped. "I wish I knew what we can do."

Kevin's mom was waiting at the front door for them. "I'm sorry, you two." She said, her eyes red and moist. "He's...gotten much worse. He hasn't moved a muscle since you left yesterday and the doctors _still _don't know what's wrong." She took a shuddering breath before continuing. "Just...brace yourself, okay? He doesn't look like himself..." She turned and lead them into the house. "I'll bring up some soup later." She called after them as they rushed upstairs.

Gwen opened the door and walked in very quietly. She couldn't hear Kevin's labored breathing. Only the slightest disturbance in the air told her that Kevin was even breathing at all. "It's okay, Ben." She said, catching her cousin's terrified expression. "He's still alive." She knelt on one side of the bed and placed a hand on his cheek. "He's still burning up. His mom has been trying to bring his temperature down ever since he got sick and it isn't doing any good."

"Yeah...she only ever leaves his side when we come. She hasn't slept at all..." Ben eyed the sweat drenched sheets.

"Uh..." Kevin could hear voices...very far away... "Er..." He could hear them getting louder, more eager. He could faintly recognize them... "Ben..." His voice didn't sound like his own. "Gwen..."

Gwen placed a hand on Kevin's clammy hand. "Yes, Kevin. It's us." His speech had been so slurred, her name had sounded like "Gwuhennnuhn" but, she could still tell. "We're here."

"Hey, Kev! You'd better get better soon, okay?" Ben said, trying to sound upbeat and hopeful. 'He talked...that's something!'

Kevin gazed sadly at the blurred forms of his best friend and his girlfriend. He knew deep down that this would be the last time he'd see them. He could tell. Morningstar could tell. Tonight would be the night that the last of his life would be drained. Either that, or he'd die on the way back home. "I...I'm...sorry..." He tried to say, though it came out as "Ah...Aiyum....sssssohrrruh..." He tried again. "S-S-Sorryuh..." He wheezed.

"Don't apologize, you idiot." Ben muttered putting a comforting hand on Kevin's shoulder. "You'll get better soon."

"Nuh...Nuh...Nowuh..." Kevin tried to shake his head but it just lolled uselessly to one side. "Wuh..wuhont....buhtuh..."

"Of course you'll get better." Gwen whispered, feeling tears come to her eyes at Kevin's helplessness. "Don't talk like that. Just keep fighting!"

He could feel himself blacking out. He had to tell them! "Ah...Ahiyah...Aiyuh...luh...luhvuh...luh..." The blackness closed in around him and he couldn't speak anymore. 'I love you guys...'

Mrs. Levin was waiting for Ben and Gwen at the bottom of the stairs. "Listen...there's something that I found out last night. You see, I was asleep in the living room when I heard the sound of a door opening. Then, I heard Kevin's door open and close. I went upstairs and saw him sprawled across the bed, paler than I had ever seen him." She looked toward the upstairs. "It's only a hunch but I think he goes out every night and that's why he keeps getting worse. I'm planning on staying up late tonight to see if I can catch him before he leaves again."

Ben scratched his chin thoughtfully. "It may be more productive to follow him and see _what_ keeps making him worse. I mean, if he's leaving the house in his condition, something must be going on. If we find out what..."

"We can stop him from getting worse!" Gwen finished. "Great idea, Ben!" She turned toward Mrs. Levin. "We'll get permission from our parents to stay the night, if it's okay with you."

"Oh of course!" Mrs. Levin's mouth turned upwards in a tired smile. "It would be nice to have help from you. He's also more likely to listen to you than me..." Her eyes glinted happily. "Kevin thinks the world of you two." She started to walk up the stairs.

"Let us, Mrs. Levin." Gwen said quickly. "You need to get some sleep for tonight. We'll take care of Kevin."

"Thank you, Gwen." Mrs. Levin's voice held clear relief. "Some sleep would be...very nice..." She walked toward the couch.

"Let's go back up, Ben." Gwen beckoned to her cousin as she ran upstairs.

Ben trudged slowly behind, laughing to himself. "Boy...if Kevin finds out that we played nanny for him...I'll _never_ hear the end of it!"

**I'll try to get Part 2 up ASAP. I saw the preview for the next Ultimate Alien episode and...it could either be REALLY good or VERY terrible. I mean, THREE Bens?! One is already a mouthful! Aw well... One thing I'm happy about is that Ben didn't become Mr. Ego in the first episode like how he was in Season 3 of AF. THAT would be annoying! I loved in the preview when "Honest-Touchy-Feely Ben" was talking to Kevin in the car and was all: "We've never honestly talked about our feelings." OMG I NEARLY FELL ON THE FLOOR AND DIED RIGHT THERE!!! LOL!!! ^_^ Poor Kevin! I'm sure that'll make all Romantic Bevin fans happy! ROFL!!! One thing I'm worried about: The first episode had Ben coping with new fame. The second is going to be him trying to be in three places at once. Two of which are normal human places. I'm starting to get a vibe that Man Of Action is gonna make this a Teen Drama With a Sprinkle of Alien Fighting series... I REALLY hope not! That would completely ruin it! Anyway, see you all later! Solora out!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2! Yay! Okay, now this Chapter contains a combination of Gwevin fluff, Brotherly Bevin fluff, Kevin epicness, you know the deal right? Oh! And I added something else here, a little treat! You know how Ben 10 always does movie and TV references? Well I threw one in here. Free cookies to whoever can tell what line it is and guess what movie it's from! Free cake to the first person! Enjoy!**

Kevin moaned as his alarm clock went off. He quickly shut it off with a feeble whack. He opened his eyes to see only blackness. 'Ugh...' It seemed like every cell in his body was filled with lead. His eyes began to burn with a desire to close once more but Kevin ignored it. 'One hour...gotta get down there...and it'll all be over...' His blood seemed to be as thick as Jello. It was a miracle that anything was circulating through his body period! He reached blindly for the bedside table and grabbed his Plumbers badge. 'I'll just...leave a goodbye for Ben and Gwen. I owe them that much.' He choked down some of the warm tap water that sat in a glass next to his bed before turning on the recording mechanism...

…..................................................................................................................................................

Ben's mouth opened in a face-stretching yawn. "When's something gonna happen?" He mumbled drowsily. "It's eleven o'clock...I wanna go to bed..."

Gwen elbowed him. "Don't you dare fall asleep, Ben! We need to stay awake."

"Should we wake up Mrs. Levin?" Ben glanced toward Kevin's mom, who had finally lost her battle with sleep.

"No. Let her sleep. We can handle this on our own, whatever it is."

"I just don't get it. _What_ could be making Kevin leave every night when he's in this condition? How can he even bring himself to get out of bed! I mean, he looks like the living dead right now!" Ben punched a pillow and rested his head on it. "I mean, it just...doesn't make sense.

"I know! I mean-" Gwen stopped suddenly when the sound of footsteps came to her ear. "Pretend to sleep! Quick!" She closed her eyes and tried to listen...

….........................................................................................................................................................

Kevin clutched the hand rail so tightly, his hand was turning even whiter. Blood circulation was being rapidly cut off. He gasped for breath as he took the stairs one at a time. He practically fell over when he reached the bottom. He smacked his hands against the wall and tried to prop himself up. 'Come on, Kevin...Focus...' He groaned softly as his head started pounding even more than it was. 'Just go toward the door...' He felt along the walls until he had a weak grasp on the doorknob. He took a deep breath before slowly turning it. It took every ounce of concentration in his head to accomplish this simple feat. Clutching his side as he left the security of the wall, he stepped outside and stumbled toward the car.

…..........................................................................................................................................................

Ben and Gwen watched out the window as Kevin fumbled with his car keys. "He's actually going to try _driving_?!" Gwen gasped, her mouth hanging open.

"I think so!" Ben muttered, raising his eyebrows. "Wherever he's going, it's gotta be important." He started pressing buttons on the Ultimatrix. "Once the car starts, I'll go Jetray and we can follow him from the sky."

"Okay..." Gwen's eyes glittered fearfully as Kevin's car started and began to drive jerkily down the road.

"JETRAY!" Ben shouted as they walked out the door. "Let's go!" Gwen grabbed a hold of his foot and he shot up into the air. "Looks like he's heading toward the abandoned side of town...Tech deal perhaps?"

"How could a tech deal be so important that he risks his health like this! I mean, look at his driving!" Gwen winced as Kevin swerved to the wrong side of the road. "Thank goodness no one else is out at this time of night!"

"He's stopping...over by that abandoned alley. Should we land?"

"No...let's hover above so we can see what's going on before we jump in."

"Check."

…..............................................................................................................................................................

Kevin wanted nothing more than to collapse against the wall, but he would rather die than kneel at Morningstar's feet! 'Heh...talk about irony...I'm dying anyway...' He laughed softly to himself, nearly falling over as the vibrations hurt his balance.

"Ready, Kevin?" That familiar cold voice called from the shadows. Smirking, glowing, sparkling, Michael Morningstar walked toward Kevin. "You know, I'm almost sad that this is over. This has been rather fun." He raised a hand and mockingly brushed Kevin's sweaty black locks out of his face. "I haven't felt better in weeks! Anything I can do for you before I kill you?" His voice was full of glee.

"Eat garbage. Jump off a cliff. Smash yourself against that brick wall. Laser yourself. I could go on and on. Anything appeal?" Kevin rasped, flinching away from Morningstar's hand and trying to grip the brick wall.

"Attitude as always..." Mike laughed darkly and put a hand on Kevin's chest. "I'll make this nice and slow...so you'll have time to...pray."

Kevin was too weak to scream when he felt the black energy starting to drain what was left of his strength. He was so far gone by this point, he wasn't even feeling any pain. It was more of an unpleasant twinge coming from a distance than anything. 'Dying...isn't so awful...'

…...............................................................................................................................................

Gwen's eyes grew wide before narrowing with rage. "Take us down, Ben!"

Ben was already entering a free fall, his eyes glinting green with anger. "MICHAEL!" He shouted, shooting a green beam down at the disgusting Edward Cullen twin.

Mike looked up and a smirk came to his face. "Ben...and lovely Gwen...what a surprise..." He took his hand off of Kevin and allowed him to slump down against the brick wall. "Look, Kevin! Your friends came to say goodbye!"

Kevin could just barely see the shadowy shapes of Ben and Gwen standing by Morningstar. "N-Nuh..." He tried to call out. "Go...Go back..." He moaned.

"Kevin..." Gwen gasped. He looked like he was two seconds away from death. She turned on Morningstar. "What have you been doing to him?!"

Mike smirked. "Hey, Kevin agreed to this! Don't be mad at me!" He indicated the near-unconscious Kevin. "It was either this, or all three of you would have died last week."

Gwen's eyes flared with mana. "Let him go, filth!" She shot a magenta beam at Morningstar, which he quickly absorbed.

"I do apologize, lovely Gwen." Mike chuckled softly. "I am more powerful now than you have ever seen me before!" He raised his forefinger and shot a wave of gold at her, knocking her into a wall.

Kevin blinked and tried to stand. "N-No..." He gasped. He pressed his hand against the cement ground and tried to concentrate.

"Don't think so, Kevin!" Mike called behind him. "You can't even stand! Do you honestly think you have the strength to absorb anything?"

'I gotta...' He clawed desperately at the ground, feeling his energy ebbing slowly away. 'Come on...'

Ben let out a howl of rage. "YOU ARE GOING DOWN!" He shot toward Morningstar, who easily shot him back against a brick wall next to Gwen.

"You're out of your league." Mike rolled his eyes. "Pitiful. You hardly put up a fight." He raised a metal gloved hand and brought it down hard against Gwen's head, knocking her out. He then pressed the symbol on Ben's chest, making him human again and gave him a blow for good measure. "Your energies will do quite nicely..."

"NO! GET AWAY FROM THEM! WE HAD A DEAL!" Kevin felt black spots obscuring his vision. 'Shouldn't have shouted...' That outburst seemed to be sapping the rest of his strength. 'Gotta...stay...awake...' He tried to sit up against the brick wall without success.

"You should understand, Kevin: Deals change. I would think that someone like you would know that by now!" Mike closed his eyes and smiled at the familiar sensation of the Tennysons' energy going into him, making him so strong... "I should be thanking you. Without your generous donations, I wouldn't have had any hope of defeating these two!"

"No..." Kevin's flickering eyes grew wide with horror. "You...tricked me..." He clenched his fists. "You had no power this whole time... I could've beaten you that first day... Now..." His eyes scrunched shut in pain and anger. "I'm so stupid..."

"Can't argue with that!" Mike chuckled. "You have always been rather dense. Don't worry, Kevin. I'll let _you_ live." A dark smile crossed his face. "Slowly killing you was fun, but I rather like the idea of letting you live on in misery, letting you live knowing that you brought about Ben and Gwen's deaths."

"You're disgusting..." Kevin snarled. "You...you monster!" He spat, trying once more to force himself to his feet. He could see Ben and Gwen fading faster and faster by the second. They had looked like zombies for too long already! Now, Kevin could see them beginning to lose their spirits. Their eyes were dim. He only had a few minutes! Desperately, he pressed his hands against the brick wall. 'Come on...come on...'

"You can't absorb anymore, Kevin! Weren't you listening to me earlier? I drained you within an inch of your life! You have no power!" Mike laughed. "Your attempts are futile." He smiled as the power increased still more.

'Come on! Absorb! I need strength! I need energy! I need power! Please!' Kevin closed his eyes and prayed silently. 'Let me be able to beat him. Please. Please...' Above him, a lightbulb flickered

"You know, Kevin...I've always enjoyed draining Gwen more than anyone else..."

'He's trying to distract me! Gotta ignore him!' Kevin focused every muscle in his limp body on absorbing the brick wall he was lying against. The lightbulb flashed on and off. Kevin felt a familiar tingling sensation going through his body.

"Her energy...is so...mouthwatering..." Mike drank in another wave of power and sighed. "It's such a pity. She was such a waste with you."

Kevin felt anger surging through his veins. The lightbulb shattered, showering him with splinters of glass. Sparks fell on Kevin and were absorbed into his skin. 'Wha...' His eyes grew wide. 'Is this...'

"Weren't you, Gwen?" Mike took a step forward and touched her withering cheek with his gold glowing hand.

"DON'T TOUCH HER!" Kevin shouted. He pressed his hands against the brick wall and scrunched his eyes shut.

SMASH!

CRASH!

CRACKLE!

Every lightbulb in the alley suddenly shattered. The lamps that illuminated the abandoned street all went out, plunging the area into what should have been total darkness. Only two lights lit the area. One was the gaudy golden light that surrounded Mike and his victims. The other was a new, pure electric blue aura that illuminated...

"Impossible!" Mike gasped, taking a step back.

Kevin narrowed his eyes as they sparked with rage. He raised a charged hand and a bolt of lightning struck the ground next to his opponent. He pointed a crackling finger at Mike and spoke in a low, deadly voice. "Put. Them. Down."

Mike recovered from his shock and forced his trademark casual smirk back onto his face. "You don't scare me. You've just made this more interesting!" He abandoned the Tennysons and turned fully toward Kevin, sending a wave of yellow light at him.

Kevin leaped backwards and retaliated with a stream of blue sparks. He had never felt so alive! This was what power felt like! He had almost forgotten... It had been so long... He closed his eyes and could see everything! Electric currents were running through every surface around him. They were in the walls, under the ground, in the sky, within his own skin. Every second, the electricity fed him, made him stronger, faster, braver. He could see where the currents hit a certain point on Morningstar. He saw his weak spot! "You..." He raised a hand as another gold beam shot toward him. "Won't..." He caught the beam and held on. "Hurt..." He began to drink the gold into the palm of his hand, recycling it. Making it something new. "Anyone..." He caught the correct electric current and began to pull. "AGAIN!"

Mike screamed as he felt a sudden tugging sensation at his insides. It was as if someone had pulled a plug and every ounce of energy within his body was leaking out! "Stop! Please!" It kept leaving. It was going...going... His face became gray and withered. Going... His hands trembled. Going... He was beginning to feel faint. Gone... His vision went black and he collapsed.

Kevin lowered his hands and breathed a sigh before walking back to his car. 'Thank goodness I have this...' He pulled a mini Null Void projector out of his trunk and aimed it at Darkstar. "I don't envy you when you wake up." He muttered with a grin as his arch nemesis disappeared with a flash.

**Sorry...I wanted to make the battle scene more epic but, if there's one thing I have problems writing, it's battle scenes. *sigh***

Kevin then rushed back over to Ben and Gwen. "Come on, guys...please be okay..." He checked their pulses and breathed a sigh of relief. "Come on...let's get you back home."

….........................................................................................................................................................

Gwen opened her eyes slowly. 'Wha...?' Suddenly, everything snapped back into reality and she sat bolt upright. "Kevin! Ben!"

"Huh?"

Gwen turned to see Ben lying down next to her, blinking sleep out of his eyes. "Ben?" She looked around, trying to figure out where they were. "Kevin's room?" She turned back toward Ben. "What happened?"

"Beats me..." Ben groaned and rubbed his head. "The last thing I remember is Mike knocking me out." His eyes grew wide. "Where's Kevin?!" At that moment, the door opened and Mrs. Levin walked in carrying a breakfast tray.

"So you two finally woke up." She set the tray down on the bedside table and smiled. "Kevin told me quite an interesting story. You'll have to ask him about it when he wakes up."

"So Kevin's okay?"

"Thanks to you."

Ben and Gwen looked at each other. "How could that be?" Gwen wondered. "We were knocked out pretty quickly."

"Like I said, Kevin will explain. In the meantime, why don't you eat? I'll send Kevin up when he wakes up." She walked out of the room

"I just don't get it..." Ben muttered. "Hey. It's Kevin's Plumber badge." He noticed it as he reached for a piece of toast.

"I guess he left it here." Gwen said as she leaned over it to get an apple.

"_VOICE RECOGNIZED. GWENDOLYN TENNYSON. PLAYING RECORDED MESSAGE."_

"What?" Ben said before a hologram of Kevin appeared in front of them. Gwen picked up the badge and held it in front of them. Kevin looked horrible and pale, just as he had the other day. He gazed at them with dull eyes and began to speak.

"Hey, Gwen. Hey, Ben. If you're seeing this, I'm probably dead by now. I can't tell you why I'm dead or why I've been sick. It would put you at risk. I just want to say a few things, that's all. First of all, I want you two to take care of each other. Watch each others backs since I can't do it for you anymore. Okay...let's see..." He breathed a sigh before continuing. "I'll just give a special message to each of you. Here goes... Gwen, I want you to know how much you mean to me. That day back over a year ago when we first saw each other again...I don't know if you remember but I do. I didn't want to help you guys track down the Highbreed. You put your hand on my shoulder, looked me in the eyes, and spoke to me like a human being. I can't even begin to describe what that meant to me. It's thanks to you that I'm no longer a conman. It's thanks to you that I am who I am today. I fell in love with you that very second, Gwen and that love only increased as time went on. Just know that I love you, and I'll never forget everything you did for me. Thank you...for everything."

A tear ran down Gwen's cheek and she smiled softly. 'I remember that day, Kevin... The way you looked at me...that's what told me there was something special about you...'

The hologram flickered and trembled, as if holding the badge and speaking so much was a terrible drain on Kevin's strength. It focused again and Kevin continued, clearly trying to keep his voice strong. "Ben...I don't know where to begin. I hated you for so many years. You caused me so much grief. You're a total idiot...and I wouldn't have you any other way. You let me into the group and trusted me despite everything I had done to you in the past. You helped me through so many hard times and taught me how to become a better person. You're my best friend, Ben." He paused. "No...more than that. You're the little brother I never had. I know you'll take care of Gwen when I'm gone. Goodbye, Ben 10. You're a true hero...in more ways you can imagine."

Ben's eyes grew wider and wider throughout Kevin's message. 'No way...Seriously? He really...Brother?!' At Kevin's last sentence, Ben's face softened into a smile. 'Wow...'

"Don't be too sad, guys. You made my life worth living and I can die happily knowing I did what I did for you. Keep fighting and never give up. This world, this universe, needs heroes. It needs you guys. Keep your heads up and make sure to give any villains you meet an extra pound for me. Oh! And one more thing..." The hologram Kevin grinned weakly. "If only to honor my memory..._Please_ don't let any monsters trash my car! Bye guys. Kevin Levin out." The hologram disappeared, leaving the two cousins to their thoughts.

Ben was the first to speak. "I never knew Kevin thought of us that way..." He muttered.

"Yeah..." Gwen glanced at Ben. "I'm gonna go downstairs." She pushed the quilt off and started toward the door, Ben following.

Kevin was still half asleep as Gwen and Ben knelt down next to the couch. He blinked blearily before grinning. "So we're not dead. I call last night a total success."

Gwen leaned down and softly kissed Kevin's forehead. She placed his badge on his chest and brushed some of his black locks out of his face. "I think you have some explaining to do."

Kevin chuckled. "Yeah...I guess..." He propped himself up on his elbows before continuing. "Mike Morningstar came to me a few days ago. He was able to subdue me every time I attacked him. I might have been able to beat him but...well...I was scared..." He sighed. "Morningstar said that he had enough power to kill you both and I believed him. He said that he'd leave you both alone if I let him slowly kill me. It was either that or he probably would have killed me right away then..."

"Kevin..." Gwen gasped. "Why would you do something like that?" How could he make himself suffer like that alone? "Why didn't you tell us?"

"He would've killed you if I had told him. And I did it because...well...I'd rather die knowing I protected you than die knowing you'd soon join me. Even if he'd let me live, I would have hated life without you. I mean...you two mean more to me than anything..." His face turned a little red as he spoke.

"Oh Kevin..." Gwen hugged him tightly. "You mean the world to us too."

Ben nodded his head and grinned at Kevin as Gwen pulled away. "We're not letting you leave us just yet!" He looked Kevin up and down. "Wow! You look great! What happened? You looked like death only last night. Also, how'd we get out of that?"

"Well..." Kevin paused before extending his hand. The lamp that sat by the sofa went out and his hand was surrounded by electricity. He focused it into a ball in the palm of his hand. "I got my old powers back!" He closed his hand and the energy sank into his skin. "When I saw Morningstar hurting you...I just got so angry. Next thing I knew, every street lamp went out and I was able to drain Morningstar within an inch of his life and send him headfirst into the Null Void."

"Amazing...what did it feel like?"

"Like...I could do anything. I felt so powerful..." Kevin yawned loudly. "But right now...I just feel like sleeping for a few months!"

"Why don't you?" Ben asked, patting Kevin on the shoulder. "You deserve it! When you feel better, we'll go to Mr. Smoothie! I'll buy you this great new blend I discovered! It's got cucumber, caramel, vanilla, carrot juice-"

"Ben!" Kevin's eyes widened with disgust at Ben's description. "I was on the brink of death all week! Do you honestly want to send me back there again?!"

All three of them burst out laughing. Ben then pulled the blanket up around Kevin's shoulders, hesitated for a millisecond, and then draped an arm across Kevin's chest in a brief hug. "You know...you're a hero too, Kevin." He smiled softly. "In more ways than you know."

Kevin smirked and gripped Ben's shoulder affectionately. "And don't you forget it."

Gwen leaned down and gave Kevin a long, slow kiss. She ran a hand softly across his chest and stroked his cheek.

Kevin whimpered quietly and tilted his head, bringing one hand up to cradle Gwen's face.

"Ugh!" Ben turned away and pretended to throw up. "Please! I just had breakfast!"

Gwen ignored Ben as she pulled away. She gazed into Kevin's dark eyes and whispered into his ear: "I love you, Kevin."

"Love you too..." Kevin muttered, closing his eyes. "Don't let me sleep too long, kay?"

"Okay, Kevin." Gwen stood up and walked over to Ben, who was still gagging.

"Just do me a favor...DON'T kiss when you wake up!" Ben groaned. "Or in front of me at all for that matter!"

Kevin turned onto his side and began to drift off. "Sure thing, Ben..." He crossed his fingers under the covers. "Sure thing..."

**This story turned out pretty nicely... I'm patting myself on the back here! ^_^ This story didn't have any of my famous make-out scenes but I think it was fluffy in its own right! I wanted to balance the Brotherly Bevin and Gwevin a little more evenly in this one. Does anyone else want to see Darkstar return and watch Kevin destroy him? Let's have a show of hands, people! Please review. It makes Kevin happy!**


End file.
